Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. #1
    JackieC
    Guest

    Default What would a Postman be in a large house?

    I've come across someone who was a 21 year old servant on the 1871 census, with the stated occupation of Postman in a very large country house belonging to a banker. I've looked this up on old occupations, a Post Boy would be a postillion, would this be the same? Alternatively, could he have been responsible for the mail for the house, maybe lots of mail related to share prices?

    Sorry for not posting for a long while, the whole of last year has been dedicated to planning and carrying out an international move. I'm now back in Blighty, hurrah!

  2. #2

    Default

    Was there any relationship between him and the household?
    Maybe he was the godson of them?
    As to the position of postman, never heard of one in a household.

  3. #3
    JackieC
    Guest

    Default

    No, he was definitely a servant; I'm puzzled by it too and the handwriting is clear enough on the census, that's definitely what it says. He was from a poor background and from the size of the house this banker who owned it was as rich as Croesus. He's well down the bottom of the list, after the governess, lady's maids, housekeeper and butler, in amongst the grooms, parlour maids and scullery maids.

  4. #4
    Knowledgeable and helpful
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Parbold, Lancashire
    Posts
    822

    Default

    Not doubting what you say about the clarity of the word but the enumerator might have mistakenly written 'postman'.

    Could it be potman - someone who's job it was to wash the dishes and utensils, working in the scullery?

    Peter

  5. #5
    JackieC
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by elsinore View Post
    Not doubting what you say about the clarity of the word but the enumerator might have mistakenly written 'postman'.

    Could it be potman - someone who's job it was to wash the dishes and utensils, working in the scullery?

    Peter
    Yes, you could be right, I never thought of that!

  6. #6
    Famous for offering help & advice
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    East Sussex
    Posts
    1,246

    Default

    I was about to suggest that if you lived in a large country house down a long driveway maybe you would employ someone to go and collect your post from the local post office, possibly more than once a day, but I guess that wouldn't really be a full-time job.

  7. #7
    JackieC
    Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wimsey View Post
    I was about to suggest that if you lived in a large country house down a long driveway maybe you would employ someone to go and collect your post from the local post office, possibly more than once a day, but I guess that wouldn't really be a full-time job.
    Yes, that is possible. If the owner was a banker, there might have been a lot of telegrams on banking business, maybe?

  8. #8

    Default

    can you give us the references for that page of the census and let us all go and look.

    It sometimes was usual for lower servants to have specific duties and it could be that he was a "boot boy" and also went to the post office to collect and take mail. At that time there could be up to six deliveries a day and even more in the cities
    Sadly, our dear friend Ann (alias Ladkyis) passed away on Thursday, 26th. December, 2019.
    Footprints on the sands of time

  9. #9
    Valued member of Brit-Gen emmteeyess's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Sunderland
    Posts
    276

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ladkyis View Post
    It sometimes was usual for lower servants to have specific duties and it could be that he was a "boot boy" and also went to the post office to collect and take mail. At that time there could be up to six deliveries a day and even more in the cities
    That was my thoughts too. If there was no professional postman/service at the time then perhaps the boy was sent into town with the outgoing post from the house and collected the incoming. Sure I've seen that sort of thing on Downton etc.

    Cheers, MTS

  10. #10
    Reputation beyond repute
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Kent
    Posts
    16,792

    Default

    I do wish that if people are to going to refer to a census entry they provided the census reference or some means of allowing us to look for ourselves.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Select a file: